<center><strong>Texans 31, Chargers 28</center></strong><br>
Texans kicker Randy Bullock (4) celebrates with Shane Lechler (9) after kicking a 41-yard field goal for the win in a 31-28 victory over the Chargers. less

<center><strong>Texans 31, Chargers 28</center></strong><br>
Texans kicker Randy Bullock (4) celebrates with Shane Lechler (9) after kicking a 41-yard field goal for the win in a 31-28 victory over the ... more

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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Texans kicker Randy Bullock kicks the game-winning field goal against the Chargers during the fourth quarter.

Texans kicker Randy Bullock kicks the game-winning field goal against the Chargers during the fourth quarter.

Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

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Texans kicker Randy Bullock is mobbed by his teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal.

Texans kicker Randy Bullock is mobbed by his teammates after kicking the game-winning field goal.

Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

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Houston Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing intercepts a pass intended for San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead and returns it for a touchdown during the third quarter.

Houston Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing intercepts a pass intended for San Diego Chargers running back Danny Woodhead and returns it for a touchdown during the third quarter.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing (56) returns an interception for a touchdown during the fourth quarter.

Texans inside linebacker Brian Cushing (56) returns an interception for a touchdown during the fourth quarter.

Players on the Chargers bench, including linebacker Andrew Gachkar (59) and fullback Le'Ron McClain (33) celebrate after a replay review gave the Chargers a touchdown on a dive for the end zone by Vincent Brown. less

Players on the Chargers bench, including linebacker Andrew Gachkar (59) and fullback Le'Ron McClain (33) celebrate after a replay review gave the Chargers a touchdown on a dive for the end zone by Vincent ... more

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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Chargers wide receiver Vincent Brown (86) stretches the ball across the goal line for a touchdown during the second quarter.

Chargers wide receiver Vincent Brown (86) stretches the ball across the goal line for a touchdown during the second quarter.

Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

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Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd (80) leaps to make a catch in the end zone as Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph defends but can't come down inbounds for the touchdown during the second quarter.

Chargers wide receiver Malcom Floyd (80) leaps to make a catch in the end zone as Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph defends but can't come down inbounds for the touchdown during the second quarter.

Photo: Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

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Chargers running back Danny Woodhead dives for extra yardage as he is brought down by Texans free safety Danieal Manning.

Chargers running back Danny Woodhead dives for extra yardage as he is brought down by Texans free safety Danieal Manning.

Photo: Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle

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Texans running back Arian Foster buries his head against the turf after being stopped during the second quarter.

Texans running back Arian Foster buries his head against the turf after being stopped during the second quarter.

If the person in the next cubicle seems a little draggy today, he or she likely were among the 500,000-plus households still glued to their television sets when the Texans-Chargers “Monday Night Football” game came to an end at about 12:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The game produced a 27.3 Nielsen household rating on ESPN and KTRK (Channel 13) in Houston, which equates to an average audience of about 605,000 households. It rated 17.9 on Channel 13 and 9.4 on ESPN between 9:45 p.m. and 12:45 a.m. after beginning on ESPN2 due to the late-ending Eagles-Redskins game.

Total viewers won’t be calculated until later in the week, but it’s a fair estimate that well over 1.1 million viewers in the 20-county Houston designated market area watched the game.

Despite the late start, the Texans’ struggles in the first half and their 24-point comeback leading up to the even later finish, Houston fans stayed tuned for most of the contest. The game had a 32.2 rating from 9:45 to 10 p.m., the first quarter-hour after switching from ESPN2 to ESPN to join the Channel 13 local broadcast, and it inched its way back to 24.4 for the final quarter-hour from 12:30 to 12:45 a.m.

Here are the quarter-hour breakdowns:

9/9/13 HOUSTON @ SAN DIEGO

HH RATING IN HOUSTON DMA

QTR HOUR ESPN KTRK-ABC TOTAL

9:45 PM 10.28 21.95 32.23

10:00 PM 9.69 22.43 32.12

10:15 PM 9.26 21.8 31.06

10:30 PM 9.84 21.4 31.24

10:45 PM 9.99 20.79 30.78

11:00 PM 8.62 16.92 25.54

11:15 PM 9.05 16.38 25.43

11:30 PM 9.46 14.49 23.95

11:45 PM 8.98 14.6 23.58

12:00 AM 8.84 14.34 23.18

12:15 AM 9.23 14.98 24.21

12:30 AM 9.86 14.54 24.40

The national overnight was 7.7, down from 7.9 for the Chargers-Raiders doubleheader nightcap in 2012. The game rated 36.7 in San Diego, 12.5 in Austin, 10.5 in San Antonio and 8.2 in Dallas-Fort Worth.

And what of the Astros, you ask? While the Texans were coming back against the Chargers, the Astros mounted a comeback of their own against the Mariners. That game averaged a 0.11 rating on Comcast SportsNet Houston for an average audience of just over 2,300 households.

Texans fan Mike McCue mimics J.J.Watt's sack salute near the U.S.S. Midway on Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, in San Diego. Nearly 1,000 Texans fans gathered at the historic aircraft carrier before the team's season-opener against the San Diego Chargers. less